January 09, 2018

Warren expresses concerns over CFPB data collection freeze

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) has sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Deputy Director Leandra English, both of whom claim the status of CFPB acting director, expressing concern about Mulvaney's decision to freeze the collection of consumer data by the Bureau, which he announced on Dec. 4, 2017, citing concerns by the CFPB's Inspector General regarding the Bureau's information security controls.

In her letter, Warren raised concerns about the impact of the data collection freeze on the Bureau's core functions and also expressed concern about Mulvaney's justification for shutting down data collection, highlighting what she believed is the discrepancy between the modest risks cited in recent reports by the Bureau's IG and the actions taken by Mulvaney in response. Warren asked for additional information on the data collection freeze and its impact on CFPB's operations, and she requested that her staff be briefed on the topic.